5 Favorite Gifts of 2018

SEA to Africa 2018. 10 years in teaching service. Timor Leste. Morocco (yey!). More surprises. Oceania and Africa. Mrs. Lakad Pilipinas.

A thought-provoking question was raised by a professor in graduate school some years ago, "What do you wake up for every day?" Hands were up in no time as my classmates stated their loved ones and passion for teaching as their main reasons. When it was my turn, almost all of them laughed after I uttered, "I wake up for Morocco!"—the first thing that came to my mind. Fast forward to 2018, I spent one month backpacking in this charming country together with my favorite person in the world as newlyweds. Be careful what you wish for; you just might get it, as they say.

My Instagram feed is somewhat more accurate on my travel adventures compared to my space here in blogosphere—slackerhood alert. I could enumerate a number of lazy excuses on not updating my blog but it would be hard not sounding like I’m at fault. So I won’t even try.

2018 was about fulfilling dreams and honoring commitments.

My supposed solo winter birthday trip in Shanghai last January was crashed by my favorite travel buddies who suddenly showed up at Pudong International Airport. February was literally the love month as me and my favorite buddy tied the knot on a simple rock 'n roll backyard wedding in Zambales. We then had an unplanned honeymoon trip in Australia by March. My summer break in April and May were spent in Bali (with our moms), East Timor, Singapore, and Morocco (a fulfilled dream). June was me teacher-mode on as the school year 2018-2019 commenced. It was in July when me and my favorite travel buddies went to Seoul for summer (which is actually not a good idea 'coz it was insanely hot). We had a back-to-back trip to Dumaguete and Australia in August (together with our Ninong Lakwatserong Tsinelas on a two-week winter OZ trip). September was rest month as we got to enjoy every weekend doing nothing. In October, me and my buddy joined a media tour in Malaysia and went to Boracay for its re-opening after its six-month closure. It was a fufilled dream for my mom when we went to Tokyo in November. And my December calendar was filled with Beijing and Benguet trips (plus endless Christmas parties).

To wrap it all up, here are my five favorite gifts of 2018 (in no particular order).

Five

Gift of Adventure

View this post on Instagram

Thank you, Timor Leste. Six days is truly not enough to explore the country but we had a great time. It's definitely one of our most relaxed trips ever in this most laid back Southeast Asian nation 😀 Photo by @lakadpilipinas #SEA2africa2018

A post shared by blissfulguro (@blissfulguro) on Apr 29, 2018 at 6:50pm PDT

Mid 30's physique. Teen spirit. No to extreme hiking. Yes to beach bumming. People-watching. Slow traveling. Beer nights. Commuter life. Backpacks and trolleys. Old age. Young at heart. Travel life.

Four

Gift of Life

View this post on Instagram

Birthday staycation of mi mama at the Presidential Suite of Manila Marriott's newest West Wing 😘 Photo by @lakadpilipinas #MarriottManila #TravelBrilliantly

A post shared by blissfulguro (@blissfulguro) on Mar 25, 2018 at 9:18pm PDT

Challenges. Never-ending hitches. Middle child syndrome. Aja, aja fighto! YOLO spirit. 'Coz life is shorter than you think it is. One life. Just one. Laban!

Three

Gift of Service

View this post on Instagram

Eksaktong sampung taon ngayon noong unang beses akong pumasok sa silid-aralan, bilang guro. Isang dekada nang pagtuturo. Ang bilis ng panahon. Nakakapagod, pero masaya. Naisip ko lang bigla, ang tanda ko na pala talaga dahil ka-edad ko na ang mga magulang ng mga estudyante ko. 😁 Photo by @lakadpilipinas

A post shared by blissfulguro (@blissfulguro) on Oct 16, 2018 at 9:01pm PDT

10 years. Corrupt administration and practices. On the verge of giving up. Still hanging in there. Service. Learning. Loving. Teaching life.

Two

Gift of Family and Friendship

View this post on Instagram

After a three-hour bus ride from Ouarzazate, we reached the former capital city of Morocco. Hello, Marrakech! Hello, kindred souls! Grateful for friends who would constantly crash our backpacking trips bringing with them Pinoy foodstuff that we miss plus swanky outfits because they worry much about my ootd. Haha. We booked this whole riad for the gang 'coz we need a huge space for our catching up/beer sesh (a riad is a traditional Moroccan house with rooms around a courtyard with a garden). No more hostels from this day on. Wooot! 😍 *Thanks @pinaytraveljunkie for the dress, @pinoyboyjournals for the hat and @lakwatserongtsinelas for the riad* 😘 #SEA2africa2018

A post shared by blissfulguro (@blissfulguro) on Jun 2, 2018 at 5:53pm PDT

I have less but I have the best. Go-to people. Happy people. Family. Love. My core.

One

Gift of Love

View this post on Instagram

I never dreamt of getting married. I didn't have a perfect wedding in mind at all. All I wanted is to be happy, whenever, wherever and with whomever. Exactly ten days ago, I tied the knot with the person who showed me the true meaning of a 'blissful life'. Everything felt right. We had a simple, yet honest, ceremony on a mango orchard. Then partied 'til dawn under a blanket full of stars. No fuss, just pure bliss. Love overflowed that day and it was surreal. At the end of it all, I realized that it isn't that gorgeous white dress or the eight-course meal that really matter. It's the celebration of love with all your friends and families that makes for a perfect wedding. And just for one day, they all gathered and took time to witness our union. To everyone who celebrated with us, thank you so much for the love! ❤ "Happiness is only real when shared." - Alexander Supertramp Photo by @thelakwatsero #BlissfulLakad

A post shared by blissfulguro (@blissfulguro) on Feb 19, 2018 at 5:35pm PST

Favorite person in the world. Beautiful soul. Commitment. Simple. Fulfilling. Kindred. Love. Just love. Overflowing love.

**********

Last night, before hitting the sack, my buddy asked me if I ever imagined myself traveling around the world. I was dumbstruck for a moment. 'Coz my childhood dreams constituted mainly of finding a lifetime partner who'll share this crazy but blissful life with me no matter what (no, I didn't dreamed of getting married or being rich). I didn't imagine that this person will support me with whatever I go out for and explore the world with me. I'm a mediocre dreamer but hey, you’ll never know what’s in store for you so just keep holding on.

**********

Rocking on to next year's awesome gifts.

And if you're reading this now, thank you for sticking with me til now.

Happy 2019 y'all!

Lemme share with you a rundown of my 2018 posts

(the year I got too lazy to tell you a story)

JANUARY